The Great Divide (Golden trio era)

The first challenge

Anika POV:

The pain was overwhelming. I couldn't believe that she called me that! She had a point though I shouldn't have told Harry. It wasn't my place to do so.

I looked up from where I was talking with Ellen to see Harry causing a commotion. The majority of the school was furious with him for becoming a participant. The next thing I noticed was that Paige was sitting with a group of Slytherins. There was a "Potter Stinks" badge pinned to her robe.

"What's up with Paige and the Slytherins?" Ellen asked me with a concerned look on her face.

"She knows I told Harry," I replied glumly as I looked over at them.

"I wouldn't fret about it too much. You could be deciding how much you're going to bet on the first challenge!" She exclaimed. In true Gryffindor fashion, Ellen was always up for a challenge. "You ready to lose against me again?"

"I'm going to wait until the second round so I have more of an idea who was most likely to win," I said, slapping her on the back halfheartedly.

Ellen stood from her spot and yanked me up from the ground. "Come on. Let's grab something to eat, I'm starving!"

We started walking back towards the forest all while Paige refused to look at me. Ellen ended up dragging me over to the quidditch pitch instead so I could watch her practice.

"Ellen, there are more important things in life than quidditch," I groaned as she began strapping on her robes.

"How could you say that!" She gasped in response.

"Anika it is a complex and valuable sport!" Helayna said, appearing out of nowhere. She was already wearing the green and sliver robes of the Slytherin team.

"Where the heck did you come from?" I asked her.

"Come on, I bet I'll smash you in the next match!" She grinned at Ellen who began racing up the stairs with her broom.

I left to go sit in the grandstands with Alicia and Tia. They waved at me and Alicia looked delighted when she noticed the bag of snacks I had brought.

"Ooh what'd you bring this time? Any macaroni?" Alicia asked. I handed her the muggle thermost I had brought with me. She giggled and began to scan the grandstands for her next target.

"Just don't hit me," I pleaded, not wanting to get attacked by pasta.

"No promises," she grinned, lifting a piece of macaroni in the air with her wand and lobbing it at Mady who was coming over to us.

"Oi!" Mady frowned picking the pasta out of her hair.

I took a seat next to Alicia and watched as Ellen, Helayna and Laura all zoomed across the field. Alicia continued to peg macaroni at the small groups of people in the grandstands who had come to watch the practice.

Mady lent her head on my shoulder and we watched as Laura and Helayna collided with their brooms.

"I heard you lost 15 galleons in a bet with Ellen," Mady started, the smirk blooming on her face. "Does that mean you're too broke to go to Hogsmead on the weekend?"

I shot her a friendly glare. "It was a dumb bet but I was so sure of myself!"

At that moment Alicia successfully hit Laura with a piece of macaroni. Laura wasn't ready for it and nearly fell off her broom.

"What was that for?" Laura said, flying over so she could confront her friend.

"Fun." Alicia replied.

"You git!" Laura yelled and quickly stole her thermos. She began lobbing macaroni back at her. Alicia hid behind Mady and I but she couldn't avoid the revenge.